On Wednesday night as dinner was in the oven, I opened up the Café Royal Cocktail Book in search of an aperitif. One that caught my eye was the Incognito which was primarily Lillet and seemed like it would fit the bill. The drink was reasonably dry and had a general fruitiness from the various spirits and citrus-peel infused aromatized wine. The apricot flavor was indeed present but not overwhelming like it can be in many drinks, and it was complemented by a light degree of spice from the bitters. While the Incognito was lighter in alcohol, the brandy still contributed a slight burn on the swallow.

It called for Lillet and I added the blanc part so as not to encourage people to buy the Dubonnet rip-off...

I don't mind the scaling unless they have constant measurements like a half a lime or other (with the rest just proportions) so that it's not just what size cocktail you'd like but what the right sweetness balance, etc. should be.

who? what?

The euphemisms are getting a bit stale, suffice to say: four people in Boston -- two of whom are much more prolific writers than the other two (including the originator of this blog, who has no excuse apart from laziness) -- who drink and tell.

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The 2017 collection of 855 drink recipes, bartender tributes, and essays on hospitality from Frederic Yarm, one of the authors of the Cocktail Virgin Slut blog. Available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

The 2012 collection of 505 drink recipes, techniques, and Boston bar recommendations from Frederic Yarm. Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.